


Five Times Magnus and Alec Broke Up and One Time They Didn't

by CommanderTeatime



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alec Lightwood is too sassy for his own good, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Embarrassed Alec Lightwood, Fluff, Happy Ending, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Hurt Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Possibly the fluffiest thing I've ever written, Sick Magnus Bane, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, last chapter is Maia-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-01 15:10:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15145847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CommanderTeatime/pseuds/CommanderTeatime
Summary: Alec had once told him, "relationships take effort", and he had been more than right, but at the same time, Magnus was sure Alec hadn't been thinking about just how much fun they were.A collection of break ups and beyond.





	1. Alexander's Box

**Author's Note:**

> I needed a break from all of the angst in Into the Night, and I finished this a lot sooner than I thought I would, so I'll be (hopefully) updating this daily. These were all inspired by a Thor/Jane fanfic (really just the title because I'm not that into MCU) (here's a link anyway-- https://archiveofourown.org/works/10536978 ). 
> 
> Also, this first chapter was inspired by a post I saw on tumblr by bytheangell (here's a link-- https://bytheangell.tumblr.com/post/173096752709/okay-but-also-imagine-a-point-where-magnus-just )

“Do you even know how to _use_ that?” Magnus leaned back on the work table and watched as Alec messed with the settings on the compound bow he had grabbed. It looked like a mess of too many bowstrings held by little wheels and gears on ends the bow. It was almost like whoever designed it looked at all of the sex appeal of a bow, and how an archer stood, and decided to remove every factor, replacing it with cold metal and mechanics.

Alec straightened, not bothering to respond to Magnus’s comment. He readied an arrow and almost before Magnus could notice, a red light went from his bow to the target, and just before Magnus could even make a comment, the arrow hit the target right where the light had been.

Magnus rescinded his earlier mental comment. It was almost as though whoever had designed Alec’s bow had seen _everything_ that made an archer sexy. He watched, mute, as Alec’s shoulders tensed and he sent another arrow into the target right beside the previous arrow.

“Have you ever split one?” Magnus asked, watching as Alec grabbed a few arrows, holding them all in the same hand while he aligned his next shot.

“Yeah.” Alec froze before he made his next shot. “Can you grab some of the black ones? They have dull tips.” He nodded a little over to Izzy’s array of weapons.

Magnus slid off of the table, but continued to watch as Alec fired three arrows, rapidly, into the target, all so close to one another. Alec lowered the bow and started to fiddle with the gears again and Magnus remembered he had been asked to do something. He tried not to spend too much time gazing at the organized beauty of Isabelle’s weapon wall. Magnus was almost tempted to pick up the katana that sat in the weapons rack, just above Alec’s other bows. Avoiding temptation, he looked through the canisters of arrows for the black ones.

The first few canisters were the metal arrows that Alec liked to use. They were a little heavier than Magnus thought they were and seemed to hum under his touch like some sort of magical conduit. He grabbed a few of the black arrows that Alec had requested. He brought them over, handing them to Alec.

“What ever happened to wooden arrows?” Magnus asked, watching Alec send another metallic arrow into the target.

“They break.” He lowered his bow, placing it on the ground and walked over to the target, pulling out the arrows that he had just sent into it. He walked back, looking at the tips of the arrows he had retrieved. He placed them into the quiver and accepted the handful of arrows Magnus had gotten for him.

“What do you use these for?” Magnus asked, looking over the thin black arrows in Alec’s hands. He placed the majority of them into the quiver alongside the ones he had retrieved. 

“These are just for practice.” He raised the compound bow and Magnus touched it, moving it a little. "Don't tell Izzy about this."

“Ah, no.” He kept his hand on the compound bow, feeling the cool metal against his fingertips. It was very obviously charmed, the magic sparkling under his fingertips. “As beautiful as this one is, I like the other one.”

Alec lowered the compound bow, setting it down and picking up the black recurve bow that he had been messing with earlier. He tested the string, pulling it back just a little before raising it and nocking an arrow against the string.

Magnus tried not to get too awfully distracted by Alec. He tried to focus more on what Alec was doing rather than how he looked doing it, but it was incredibly difficult, especially once he pulled the string back.

The arrow cut through the air soundlessly and hit the target. Just as quickly, Alec snapped another arrow against the target.

“Did you do it?” Magnus almost moved in a little closer to look at the target, but instead of answering, Alec sent another arrow into it.

The arrow made an awful ‘thwack’ noise.

Almost like he was retrieving a prize, Magnus walked down the way to the target a little too quickly and a little too happy. He examined the target, how Alec had sent the arrow into the one before it and how the arrow had splintered at the end. He carefully pulled the arrows out of the target and brought them back to Alec.

“This is going in your box!” Magnus told him, turning the arrows over in his hand. It looked so strange to see one arrow inside of the other.

Alec shook his head a little, more because of just how amused Magnus was by what he had done than his comment about the box. He tried not to think about the box that sat in front of the french doors labeled _‘Alexander’s Box’_ all because of how he had acted with the other box.

He tried not to think about how Magnus had put nearly everything Alec touched in the box just to make his point. Alec had nearly been late to a Clave meeting because he couldn’t find his shoes, only for Magnus to tell him in a sleepy mumble to ‘check the box’. He had later explained in a text message that _‘when you inevitably die, as all poor mortals do, I want them to remember you by’._

It had taken everything in Alec not to yell at him.

For the most part, it was easy to let the box jokes slide. Magnus would only heckle and tease him over stupid things, like how one of each of his patterned socks was missing, presumably in the box, or how his books ended up in the box before he was done reading them, sometimes his phone when he forgot he left it out.

It only took a week or so to get Izzy involved. Then a quarter of Alec’s belongings from the Institute ended up in the box-- jackets, pens, the glass paperweight from his desk, broken arrows, his coffee cup, a few broken steles. He had come home from patrol one night to find Jace standing in the box, holding most of its contents. Of course, it had been a good laugh.

Alec lived in slight fear of the box and what it might contain. He knew it was a joke, just to teach him a lesson in snooping, but Isabelle always took jokes to seriously, and now that she was in on it, it was only a matter of moments until it turned for the worse.

He was stretched out on the couch flipping through one of Magnus’s books on the zodiac and its connections to mythology and demonology during the next box joke. He turned the page, glancing over all of the notes that Magnus had left in the margins, purple pen, swirly and curly letters.

The door opened soundlessly and the only thing that made Alec stop reading was Isabelle announcing her presence by noisily leaving her heels by the door. “Magnus! I found something for the box!”

He could hear Magnus drop whatever he was doing in the workroom and walk out into the living room. Whatever Isabelle had had made him gasp and Alec immediately sat up, marking his place in the book with the coaster on the table.

Izzy met Alec’s eyes, her eyes were too bright, too happy, for it to be anything good. It took him a moment to notice just what she was holding and offering to Magnus. The _only_ photo album their parents had of them.

“No.” With the speed only a Shadowhunter possessed, Alec jumped over the couch and took the book from Izzy’s hands. He held it close to his chest and took a few steps back so he was nearly in the kitchen. “We aren’t doing this.”  

“Alec,” Izzy whined, approaching him slowly, her arms stretched out like she was either going to hug him or force him into dropping the book. “It was either me or mom.”

Magnus laughed, “Alexander, please.” He started back around the other side of the couch and Alec could see the ambush approaching him.

Alec hugged the book tighter. “Don’t you think the box has enough in it?” He knew he could outrun Magnus, but he knew for a fact, that he would use magic if he had to. If he charged past Izzy, she’d take his legs out from under him and she wouldn’t hesitate to break the coffee table in front of her.

“No, I can never have too many things to remember you by.” Magnus was getting too close, almost forcing Alec towards Izzy.

He took the chance and tried to charge past Izzy, but Magnus already had him, and took him down by magically pulling the carpet underneath him. Alec held the book tight and tried to crawl away, but Magnus had already grabbed him and in a few moments, Alec found himself pinned to the ground, but the book was still in his arms.

Izzy moved in, tickling Alec’s side, he squirmed, letting go of the book. Magnus got up and followed her to the other side of the room.

He could hear Magnus laugh, “Alexander, you were so cute. Not that you aren’t now.”

“He really was, just wait until you see the pictures from his rune ceremony.”

“Do you think it would be okay if I took some of these to make copies for the box? I don’t want to deprive Maryse of these memories.”

Alec sat up before he got to his feet. He walked over behind Magnus and put his arms around him, resting his head on Magnus’s shoulder. “I’m being honest, right now, completely and openly honest.”

He felt Magnus lean back into him a little while looking through images of Alec’s life, in almost every photo he was just a blur of movement. Alec couldn’t remember just when the pictures were taken, but he could remember the place they were taken. It was the old apartment, from before Jace. He hated looking at how silly he was at four years old.

Alec inhaled softly, breathing in the smell of sandalwood that was always present around Magnus. He forced his voice to be serious, but it was just above a whisper and felt more like an ‘I love you’. “I’m breaking up with you.”

The warlock didn’t even hesitate. “Now this really needs to go in the box.” There was a smile in Magnus’s voice. “I don’t know if I told you this, but I memorialize all of my exes, even if they aren’t dead.”

“Yeah?” Alec was close to laughing, so close to breaking his feigned seriousness, which wasn’t all too serious to begin with. “Can I create a box too?”

Magnus chuckled, pressing more into Alec so he was basically holding him up. “No, it’s my privilege. When you’re eight hundred years old, you have the _right_ to create boxes. The Council of High Warlocks gives you an award and everything.”

“That sounds really fake.” Alec’s eyes met Izzy’s, but he wasn’t talking to her when he demanded, “Give me your shoes.”

“My shoes?”

“Yeah, for my Magnus box.”

“I’ll give you _one_ of my shoes for the photo album.”

Isabelle laughed, “Please, this photo album is easily worth both shoes.”


	2. Protect and Defend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec defends Magnus. Magnus doesn't like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone stop me from writing angst, please.

Alec thought back to when he had just started patrolling with Izzy and Jace. They were a terrible group, but they knew each other so well that it worked. He remembered how they used to keep track of all of the demons they had taken out, ranking them on a list of ‘the worst imaginable’ to ‘bearable’. 

Of course, because Alec was oldest, he had managed to convince his siblings to put spider demons at the top of that list. Alec  _ hated  _ spiders. He couldn’t handle them. They made every single hair stand up on end, his heart pound in his chest, his mind go absolutely blank. Too many legs, way too many eyes...

If it were up to Alec, the second on the list would just be spiders alone, because spiders were already pretty terrifying at the size of a quarter rather than the size of a small dog. Instead, after an awful run in with Shedim demons in Washington cemetery, they had made the second place on the list. Alec still had nightmares of how Jace had nearly lost his arm, how Izzy had broken her foot, leaving him to cover both of them. In the end they had been forced to retreat. 

Looking back on it, Alec fired another arrow into one of the Shedim demons that was scuttling towards them, Shedim demons might have outranked spider demons. He readied another arrow and shot it into the still twitching corpse. 

Magnus carefully stepped over it, his movements so graceful it was like every silent, watchful step was a dance. “Was that really necessary?” 

Alec didn’t respond, instead, he readied another arrow and started down the other side of the mausoleum. It was much bigger than the other mausoleums Alec had been in. The walls were of clean, white marble, arching beautifully above them. The main chamber had split in two ways and it was obvious to both of them to split up. 

The scuttling noises in front of him told him that there were more of them and Alec tightened his grip on the notch of his arrow before firing it into the noise. The demon hissed and Alec readied another arrow, firing it into the source of the next noise. 

Everything fell quiet and Alec quickly nocked another arrow. 

_ “Fuck!”  _

Alec had never turned so quickly in his entire life. Without a single moment of hesitation, he bolted down to the other side of mausoleum, slid over the top of a memorial, and sent an arrow into the clawed jaw of a Shedim demon that was a little too close to Magnus. He readied himself, beside the warlock, and sent another arrow into one of the demons as they started to crawl from their nest. 

“You okay?” Alec breathed, ignoring the pain that went from his ankle into his knee. He must’ve stepped wrong when sliding off of the memorial behind them. 

Magnus was quiet for a second, disintegrating two demons with the wave of his hand. “Fine, you?”

“Will be.” Alec told him, sending another arrow through the air. It hit one of the demons in the eye and it fell from the ceiling onto another demon, pinning it down so Alec could shoot both of them, but Magnus caught them both in hellfire and they disappeared, leaving only their shell husks behind.

“The other side is clear?” Magnus asked, turning to look at the area Alec had come from. 

“I think so.” Alec lowered his bow, still holding an arrow in between his fingers. “We should probably check it.” He followed Magnus, trying to walk off the pain of his ankle. It wasn’t broken, he knew that much. 

“So much for fine.” Magnus huffed, glancing at Alec with his golden eyes. “You’re unbelievable.” 

“Yeah, but I’m yours.”

The other end of the mausoleum was empty, just as Alec had suspected. They walked out together in silence, but before they could make it to the path, Alec’s ankle gave out and he fell to his knees in the grass.

Magnus turned quickly and knelt down beside him, wordlessly helping Alec so his legs were out in front of him. “Tell me where,” he placed his fingers over Alec’s shin, right below his knee and squeezed lightly, then moved his hand down Alec’s leg until right over his ankle. 

“It’s not broken.” Alec’s voice was soft. “I’m fine.” 

“You’re  _ fine. _ ” Magnus nearly hissed, pulling away with a huff. He watched as Alec dug his stele out of his pocket and leaned against the back of a gravestone to pull up his pant leg. He unlaced his boot and took it off. 

The tip of the stele glowed in his hand while he placed it over his skin. Where the stele touched, his skin raised like a burn, quickly turning flat and black like the inky marks all over the rest of his skin. 

Magnus took a few steps back and ran his fingers through his hair, so angry that he had decided to pace. “Alec, you’re driving me crazy.” His voice was dark and serious, but Alec didn’t exactly understand why.

Alec looked up at him, but in the darkness he couldn’t read Magnus’s face. “Yeah? Because of this?” 

Magnus laughed coldly, “You say that like this has only happened once.” He continued to pace up and down the rows of gravestones, not bothering to look at just who he was crossing over. 

The warmth of the iratze was slowly beginning to seep into him, doing more than just fixing whatever had snapped or twisted in his ankle. Alec slipped his boot back on, but didn't tighten the laces.

“What was I supposed to do?” Alec asked, moving his ankle just a little to test how it felt. He tightened the laces too tight and fixed his pant leg, but didn't move from where he was. “Was I supposed to let them over run you?” 

“I had it under control, Alec.” The way Magnus said his name sent an unwelcome chill down his spine. He’d angered Magnus before, but not like this. “You can’t just rush in out of nowhere and try to control the world.” 

“I wasn’t controlling the world. I was stopping you from getting yourself killed.” He didn’t like how venomous his words sounded, but he had already said them and there was no taking them back. Alec slid his stele back into his pocket. 

Magnus stopped pacing and looked at him, Alec could only see the slight gleam of the distant cemetery lights reflecting in his golden cat eyes. He was terrifying when he wanted to be. “Is that what you think I do?” 

“No, but if there’s a way to sacrifice yourself, you’ll find it.” Alec leaned back against the headstone he had sat down near and thanked whoever had died that it was there. “Magnus, you have this fatalist way of seeing everything, like you think you aren’t worth saving because you’re four hundred years old.” 

The warlock in front of him was still silent, his eyes still reflecting light in an eerie sort of way, but his hands weren’t at his sides anymore. They were crossed over his chest. He was mad, but he was listening. 

“Just because you’ve been around longer than anyone else doesn’t mean you’re worth less. You aren’t replaceable, Magnus, I love you and if I lost you, I don’t know what I would do.” Alec tried to avoid the tightness in his chest that hadn’t let up since he had seen the shedim demons skittering out from behind the mausoleum. 

Magnus took a few steps closer, but stopped a few steps away, almost like he was afraid to come any closer, or perhaps he was still too angry. “I love you, too, Alec, but you terrify me when you try to protect me.” 

Alec laughed a little, the iratze was beginning to warm the rest of him, the healing glow seeping into his bones and making him feel heavy. “You need to be protected just like everyone else.” 

“Yeah? And you don’t?” Magnus closed the space in between them and knelt down so they could see each other in the darkness. His eyes were still gold, but he was out of the light now.

“This isn’t about you protecting me.” Alec’s voice was softer now, soft because Magnus was so close and whenever he was close it was always harder to remind himself that he needed to breathe. “This is about how you think because you’re old, you’ve lived long enough, and you’re ready to accept death.” Alec put his hand against Magnus’s chest, feeling the thickness of his peacoat and the scratchiness of the wool.

Magnus huffed, taking Alec’s hand in his. “This is because you thought it was a good idea to enter the vault.” He lowered Alec’s hand and moved his hand to Alec’s ankle. “Does it hurt still?” 

Alec ignored Magnus’s question, his attempt to get away from the topic of fatalism and self-sacrifice. “This is because you wouldn't admit you needed help. If you cuss, am I supposed to think you’re just having fun?” 

“Yes.” Magnus said through a slight chuckle. “Alexander, I love you, and I’m not planning on leaving you.” 

“Then don’t tell me not to protect you.” 

“The whole reason I'm mad is because you nearly--”

“I was not  _ nearly killed. _ ” Alec filled in where he had cut Magnus off. “I was fine. You’re fine.” He relaxed a little, “I would just be a lot more fine if you asked for help instead of trying to take everything all at once.” 

Magnus smiled a little and straightened, “If you’re so fine, do you want to walk all the way to Brooklyn?” 

Alec stood carefully and for a second, Magnus was almost certain he was serious. “Sure.”

He shook his head a little and the air in front of them crackled with gold. Magnus took Alec’s arm and put it over his shoulder so he could support some of Alec’s weight. He didn’t protest to Magnus’s help and together they walked into the warmth and comfort of the loft. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment! If you like my writing, please let me know, also I take requests, so there's that. I'm on tumblr as stariose.tumblr.com and my Shadowhunters sideblog is umbralogia.tumblr.com


	3. A Castle in Florence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Magnus wants is to put a cement countertop in a Florentine castle, but will Alec let him? Apparently not.

Magnus Bane laid on his back with his hand perfectly resting on his chest. He stared up at the boring ceiling and tried not to think about how badly he wanted to remove his sinuses. He looked ready for someone to tuck him into an early coffin, but coffins didn't have enough room for a box of tissues and several books that he had tried to understand. After a few more seconds of eerie stillness, he gave up and pressed his hands to his cheekbones, hoping to alleviate the pressure from the headache that had woken him up sometime last night. 

He felt Alec come up along the back of the couch, leaning against it while running his fingers through Magnus’s hair. “You look so pathetic,” Alec whispered, keeping his hand against Magnus’s skin. 

“I am pathetic,” Magnus whined, taking Alec’s hand and pressing it below his eyes. “Give me your other hand.” 

Alec did, and let Magnus press it under his other eye. “You’re running a fever.” 

“Your hands are cold.” His voice was just above a mumble, his hands moving Alec’s fingers to place them just perfectly on his face. “Come lay with me.” 

Alec chuckled softly, “I’m making you tea.” 

“I don’t want tea anymore, I want you.” 

“So whiny.” Alec started to pull back, probably to disappear into the kitchen to grab the tea he had made, but he couldn’t take his hands back. Magnus’s hands were over his wrists, holding him captive.

Magnus seemed to relax a little, “Don’t make fun of me. It’s rude.”

“Do you want me to get something cold for you to put under your eyes?” Alec moved in close again. 

“Just stay.” Magnus didn’t open his eyes to look at him.

Alec leaned against the back of the couch and tried not to think about how badly he wanted to fix everything. With just their luck, Magnus had caught the cold that was going around the Institute. Naturally, Alec had called in every favor he could and put Isabelle, Jace, and Underhill in charge while he took a few days off. Clary, of course, had been tasked with keeping Jace from destroying the city. Isabelle had also been given the task of watching Clary.

He squirmed a little, trying to get comfortable with Magnus’s hands still holding his. He sighed softly and looked out the french doors to the balcony and all of the city lights. Somewhere out there, Jace was doing something he shouldn’t be. Alec could sense it and it had nothing to do with their parabatai bond.

“Did you fall asleep?” Alec whispered, his eyes still on the city lights until Magnus moved a little under his touch.

“No, but your hands aren’t cold now.” His hands released Alec’s wrists and his eyes opened, obviously tired. “Go put them in the freezer.”

Alec took the chance to pull away and disappear into the kitchen. “If my feet are cold, will you put them against your face?” 

Magnus exhaled sharply, almost a laugh, but the act put him into a coughing fit. “Alec,” he whined.    
He returned in almost no time at all with a mug of tea and a washcloth. Alec set the tea down on the coffee table and moved to the couch. Magnus pushed him down and curled up against him. Expertly, Alec placed the washcloth on Magnus’s face, blinding him just to make him whine again. 

He took the washcloth and folded it nicely, placing it under his eyes and holding it there. “You’re not funny.” Magnus muttered, “Take the remote.”

“You’re in front of me, you grab it?” 

Magnus whined again. It was starting to get aggravating. Alec reached over and grabbed the TV remote, looking over all of the buttons. He turned it on and two white women began to blab loudly about designer shoes with speakers in the heel while drinking cheap wine. 

“I just love, love, love, these shoes!!” One of them squeaked, looking over the world’s ugliest pair of shoes, turning them over for the camera to see. “These are  _ perfect  _ for--”

The TV changed to the home decor channel where some lady was looking through apartments in New York City with a list of demands. She looked over the small kitchen, eyeing the cabinets, and frowned before turning to another woman and saying something about their size.

“Is this okay?” Magnus asked, as though he really wanted Alec’s approval. They both knew that he didn't care. 

“Sure.” Alec draped his arm over Magnus. “I don’t know what this is.” He admitted, looking at the television. The woman’s husband seemed to come out of nowhere, commenting about how the doorways were too narrow for his liking.

"You've never seen these shows?" Magnus almost squirmed enough to fall off the couch trying to look at Alec. "She's probably a guinea pig trainer and he's probably an assistant professor at a clown school, but their budget is half a million and they have to pick a house."

Alec laughed, "What does she train the guinea pigs to do?" 

Magnus felt Alec's hand move to his forehead for a moment to gauge his fever. "Probably something stupid." He took the cloth from Magnus’s face and moved it to his forehead. 

It only took a while, before they had looked at the second apartment, for Magnus to drift off. He snored softly, curled up against Alec, the cloth still messily on his forehead, his hair brushed back. Alec stayed as still as possible, paying as much attention to the boring house show. 

It was even harder to understand mundanes when they looked at ugly houses and tried to decide which one was better. The perky blonde woman had insisted on an  _ actual  _ kitchen of a certain size, nothing less, and off the street parking. Off the street parking  _ in New York City _ . 

The episode ended with her picking the ugliest apartment imaginable. Alec had seen his fair share of New York City apartments, he had helped his mother pick one out, and before, he had been roped into helping one of Isabelle’s friends because she ‘had a vibe’ about him that made his opinion valuable. Her apartment was all fake silver and big in all of the wrong ways. Everyone wanted a decent sized bedroom, maybe a nice sized living room, but she had gone for a large kitchen. It was the only thing in her list of demands she had reached. 

The next episode was two ladies, looking for a house in the midwest that wasn’t too far from a city. The first house was pretty bad, but it had an older charm to it. There was a room just for the telephone, but Alec let it slide because it had wood floors. 

The second house, however, was an absolute disaster. Alec had to stop himself from laughing at the woman’s face when she walked into an almost fluorescent orange kitchen. In all of the world, the  _ universe,  _ there could not be anything more ugly than the kitchen.

“If they pick that house, they deserve to suffer.” Magnus murmured into Alec’s shirt. He huffed in disgust at the words ‘laminate flooring’. 

Alec’s eyes hurt looking at the bright color of the kitchen. “It’s orange.” Was all he could manage to say. 

“The outside of it? Or the kitchen?” 

“The kitchen.” Alec paused for a moment, considering an orange kitchen and the practicality, or rather the lack of it. “Who… who would do that?”

Magnus was quiet and for a second, Alec was sure that he was asleep again, or that he might’ve just been talking in his sleep. “What color would you paint the kitchen?” He asked, and after a second, he added. “If you say black, I’ll kick you out.” 

“Dark gr--”

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood.”

“What?”

“If you say gray, I’m going to kick you out.”

Alec laughed, “Dark white.” 

“You’re not funny.” Magnus hit him softly and moved a little so he could see the screen better. “What are they doing? They’re putting a  _ cement  _ countertop in a kitchen with a  _ wood  _ floor.” 

Alec smiled a little, shaking his head as he watched Magnus criticize these mundanes with his hundreds of years of home decor experience. He nearly lost it when Magnus started to talk about just how difficult it would be to ship a cement countertop. They both decided to pity the postal worker rather than those that had to look at the eyesore of a counter. 

“I don’t understand why they don’t choose a castle.” Magnus sat up a little, taking his tea which was cold by now and taking a sip. “There are castles in Italy cheaper than apartments in New York.”

Alec was almost going to tell Magnus had he had slept through the episode on New York when he comprehended just what Magnus had said to him.“Seriously?” 

Magnus set his tea down on the coffee table and snuggled back into Alec’s arms. “There’s an apartment on 42nd that costs nearly forty times more than a castle in Florence.”

Alec shook his head a little. “Don’t tell me you own a castle in Florence.” He brushed his fingers through Magnus’s dark hair. The warlock closed his eyes for a second and opened them when he felt Alec’s hand against his forehead instead of the cloth. 

Alec slipped out from behind Magnus, climbing over the back of the couch to re-wet the cloth. He returned quickly, moving back to where he was with a little difficulty. He handed Magnus the washcloth. 

“I have two castles, but none in Florence.” Magnus told him, putting the cloth back. He closed his eyes, settling in again. “I’m going to buy a castle in Florence and put in a cement countertop.” 

“No.” Alec stated. “I’ll break up with you and have you exiled.” 

“Single  _ and  _ in exile?” Magnus squirmed, “I thought you loved me, cement countertops and all.”

“I’d be saving you from yourself.” Alec nudged Magnus over a little so he could grab the remote and turn off the TV, leaving them in the dim light of the city.

“Alexander.” Magnus sighed, “I’m breaking up with you. Right now. I’m going to enjoy my Italian castle alone, with maybe thirty cats.” He opened his eyes a little, just to see Alec smile.

“You’re going to replace me with thirty cats?”

“Thirty cats all named Alexander, and I’ll train them, so I can be on House Hunters, but instead, Castle Hunters.” 

Alec laughed, “Go to sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! If you like how I write, I also take requests on my tumblr stariose or my shadowhunter tumblr umbralogia. I'm also writing a fix-it fic because 3A made me really upset, so you should check that out. It's called Into the Endless Night.


	4. You Spilt Wa-wah-wha-LIPSTICK in my VALENTINO WHITE BAG?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec destroys something designer without realizing it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the most domestic thing I've ever written in my entire life.   
> Also here's the world's most wonderful vine-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzTlPjgJfTk

“This is new.” Alec carefully walked around the antique-looking dresser that was upside down in the middle of the walkway. He brought the stuff he had picked up from Magnus’s favorite deli over to the coffee table as a peace offering for being late.

Magnus was on his hands and knees, sanding off the white paint from the wood. For once, he wasn’t wearing something outrageous. Alec tried to remember the last time Magnus had worn a t-shirt with jeans. “Yeah? Take this.” He took one of the dressers he had placed on the couch and handed it to Alec. “Don’t paint the handles.” He handed Alec a small metal bucket, Magnus had already opened it and the paint inside was already mixed, a brush laying across the top of it.

“Why are we painting a dresser?”

“Because I want to.” Magnus rubbed away at the white paint on the side of the dresser. “I figured… you wanted to move in, giving you a dresser was a first step.”

Alec nearly dropped the paint he was holding. He smiled and dipped the brush into the paint. “I don’t know what to say.” Alec gently swiped the brush over the wood that Magnus had already sanded.

Magnus laughed, “You don’t have to say anything.” He stood and brushed off all of the little white paint flakes he had sanded off of the dresser. “I forgot just how much effort goes into actually making something like this.”

“Did you do all of this while waiting for me?” Alec watched Magnus as he moved around to look at just what Alec had brought with him.

“No, I started a few hours ago.” He smiled, taking out one of the thin styrofoam boxes of french fries and opening it. “Madzie helped pick it out. She wanted to convince me to paint it pink.”

Alec laughed, “I don’t think pink matches the rest of your furniture.”

“That’s not the problem.” Magnus handed Alec a french fry, but he wasn’t paying attention. “The problem is that even a six year old knows you need more color in your life.”

“You’re the color in my life.”

Magnus laughed, biting into the french fry he had tried to give Alec. “I think it’s fair to say you still need more, darling.”

“I don’t know why, I mean, I wore blue a few days ago.” Alec was carefully painting around the handles of the dresser, leaving the wood in a nice coat of black. “Do you think I should paint the inside?” He looked over the drawer, setting it down on the sheet beside him before taking one of the french fries from the container Magnus was still holding.

“Alec, a few days ago is not good enough.” Magnus set the container down, “Tomorrow I’m forcing you to wear something bright.”

Alec made a face. “No glitter.”

“Sweetheart, look at me.” Alec did, worry obviously in his eyes. “If you wear anything other than gray, it will be a success. I’m not trying to change you.”

“I know.” Alec took another dresser drawer from the couch and dipped his brush back into the paint. “Wait, we’re having dinner with my mom tomorrow, right?”

Magnus moved back to where he had been and took the sandpaper from where he left it. “Yes, she said something about bringing a date.” He smiled, it was nice seeing Maryse bounce back from losing her runes so quickly.

Alec was quiet until the words registered in his head. “How do you know more about my mom’s personal life than me?”

He shrugged, continuing to rub off more white paint from the wood. “I’m sure my red blazer will fit you.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Alec dipped his brush back into the can of paint rather carefully and started on the inside of the drawer in his hand. “I don’t like red.” He admitted, “Gray counts right?”

“No.”

“Dark blue, then.”

Magnus made a noise of disapproval that almost sounded like a growl. “If you don’t stop, I’ll make you wear glitter.” He smiled and Alec knew just by looking at his face that he was thinking of Maryse’s reaction to seeing her son in glitter.

“What if I make you wear black instead?”

“I wear enough black.”

Alec set the drawer down on the white sheet that Magnus had put out on the floor to protect it. He took his brush and dipped it into the paint, “Magnus.”

“What?” He didn’t turn away from the dresser, still running the sandpaper over the wood and all of the ornamental curves of it.

“I’ve wanted to ask you something, for a long time, and I just…”

Magnus turned, his eyes wide.

Alec bit down as hard as he could on the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “I love you with all of my heart, Magnus Bane.” He took Magnus’s hand and the sandpaper from him, placing it on the floor.

“Alexander--”

He took the brush from the paint can and ran it up Magnus’s arm as fast as he could.

Magnus made an inhumane noise, something that sounded like a cat being thrown in a bathtub full of ice water. He nearly disappeared before Alec’s eyes and in less than a second, Alec could hear him in the bathroom, shouting something nonsensical, possibly in another language.

“Magnus, calm down.” He carefully stood from the mess they had created and gently entered the bedroom, then the doorway of the bathroom.

“Alec, if this doesn’t come out, you’re _dead_ to me.” He was still panicking, he had taken off his shirt, which Alec had assumed was just a regular gray t-shirt, and was frantically trying to scrub it out.

Alec stayed close to the doorway, “I didn’t touch it.”

Magnus pulled the fabric out from under the running water, “You did, right here.” He was a little calmer now, his thumbnail running over little specks of black paint. “This is a designer shirt, Alec. It’s _Valentino._ This shirt was… an insane amount of money.”

Guilt hit Alec like a train. “I’m sorry.”

Magnus pulled off all of his rings, letting them clatter against the counter as he rubbed the paint of the shirt’s sleeve. He relaxed instantly the moment the black speckles disappeared and gently placed the shirt down on the counter before looking over the black stripe Alec had put down his arm.

“Don’t think you’re getting away with this.” He didn’t look up at Alec, his eyes stuck on his painted arm. “I give you a dresser and this is how you treat me?” He was trying his hardest to put Alec in a panic, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

“I know, I’m the worst.” Alec smiled back, taking a cautious step back from the doorway. “I almost ruined a designer t-shirt.”

Magnus was slowly approaching him, almost stalking him. “You pretended to propose to me just to… mutilate me with paint. Look at me.”

“It’s hard not to.” Alec admitted, carefully stepping out of their bedroom and back towards the dresser. “You forgot your shirt.”

“You’ll just have to give me yours.” Magnus muttered, almost threateningly. He cautiously reached over and took the second can of paint, carefully opening it and dipping the brush in it. Alec watched as he carefully stirred it a little before taking it out of the can. “Come here.”

Alec took three steps away and grabbed his own brush and paint. “Truce.”

For a split second, Magnus considered it. His voice was soft, but menacing and sent chills up Alec’s spine. “No.”

He let Magnus get close and pulled him in for a kiss while running the brush up Magnus’s back. He squirmed and pulled away, pouring a little bit of the paint over Alec’s shoulder.

“That’s cold.” Alec nearly dropped his own paint and brush. “That’s really cold.” He carefully put his hand in the paint can and then put his hand on Magnus’s chest, but before he could do anything else he felt Magnus’s paint brush against his neck.

“I think I put some in your hair.” Magnus murmured, rubbing the paint into Alec’s shirt and all over his skin. “God, I’m going to break up with you.”

Alec laughed, “So much for moving in, right?” He moved in quick and kissed Magnus. “Do you still want my shirt?”

“Can I put it in your box?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is my absolute favorite because it is the softest, most heartfelt thing I have ever written in my entire life. It's honestly just... so soft... and I can't wait to post it tomorrow. 
> 
> Also, I'm working on the last chapter, and I'm thinking about having it from Maia'a POV? Let me know what you think.


	5. Soft Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Seelies gang up on Jace and Alec. Magnus tries his absolute best not to destroy the Downworld Cabinet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the softest thing I have ever written in my entire life. Please enjoy.

Oddly enough, Magnus felt grateful for his eyes. He could see the far reaches of the Ops Center from where they were, curled up in one another, Alec's body heavy against him, his breathing soft and deep. The Institute looked oddly beautiful. The soft glowing of the blue indicator lights, the dark monitors, the almost dead silence except for the humming of computer fans and Alec's soft breathing... It was hard to hate the place. Magnus had to remind himself that this building and all it stood for was the reason why Alec was laying in his arms, why Alec had put himself in danger  _again,_ and why Magnus had met him in the first place.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and carefully, Magnus took it out and cancelled the alarm. _Just a few more times and I can let Alec sleep a little longer_ , he told himself.

Magnus moved carefully to press a kiss to Alec’s forehead before gently shaking him awake with soothing words, “Sweetheart, Alexander.”

Alec stirred almost instantly and Magnus watched as his eyes fluttered open. “What?” he mumbled, closing his eyes tight in pain. 

“What’s Isabelle’s middle name?” Magnus whispered, brushing Alec’s hair back from his face.

“Sophia.” He murmured, his voice soft, on the verge of slipping back into sleep.

“Do you know where you are, darling?”

Alec was quiet for a moment and Magnus felt his head rest back on Magnus's shoulder. He was almost afraid Alec had fallen back asleep when he answered, his voice softer than the last time. "The Institute," but it sounded more like a question than an answer. 

“Does your head still hurt?” Magnus settled back down against the infirmary bed. It was very uncomfortable compared to their bed at home and it was far too small. Every time Magnus moved he felt like he was going to fall off the back of the bed. He did like how they were forced to be so close, how Alec was stuck in his arms with nowhere else to go. The world was forced to slow down for them, for this. Magnus just wished it was under better circumstances.

Alec didn't move. He spoke through a soft breath, “Yes.”

Magnus slowly put his hand on the side of Alec’s face, brushing his fingers through Alec’s hair while he stirred the magic to his fingertips, soothing the tense pain he felt emanating from Alec. He had tried to fix concussions before, they always felt like tight knots that he couldn't unravel. At the very least, he could try to take some of the pain away, his magic carefully running over Alec's slowly healing bruise. Alec melted a little in his arms and Magnus smiled softly, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. There was nothing else he could do. 

“Does it still look bad?” Alec asked. 

He gently ran his thumb over Alec's cheekbone. Magnus could see with his enhanced vision that Alec's cheekbone was better now. A few hours ago it had been so dark it had terrified him. In the dim light of the Institute's blue lights, Magnus could tell that it was already an ugly shade of healing yellow. "It's not so bad."

Alec made a soft noise, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

Alec moved a little, almost like he was going to look up at Magnus, but he didn’t open his eyes to do so. “You’re spending your night at the Institute when we should be home, asleep.”

Magnus chucked softly, letting his lips brush against Alec’s temple. “This is more comfortable than falling asleep on the couch watching House Hunters.” He paused for a moment, taking his phone and checking the time, it was only  a little past one. “Go back to sleep, Alexander.”

“Are you going to wake me up again?”

“I have to.”

He made a soft noise, something that sounded almost like a groan, but he was too tired to commit to being disappointed.

Magnus reset the alarm on his phone for another fifteen minutes and tried not to think about just how angry he had made Cat. They had been in the middle of a Louisiana swamp when Underhill had called, tense and explaining with far too many words how the seelies that Alec and Jace had gone after were more troublesome than they expected. Alec had been hit in the face with an iron staff and Jace had gone wild while Alec tried and failed to collect himself.

Jace had pounded the seelie that had hit Alec hard enough that the Seelie Queen herself was requesting an audience with Institute officials and the Downworld Cabinet meeting had been moved up a week to accommodate for “such violence”. Magnus was grateful that Jace had taken to defending Alec, because he was sure that if he had been there, the Queen would be planting two rather nice new trees while she recruited more seelie knights.

Ever since the incident with the Soul Sword, the Seelie Queen had been looking for a fight to pick with the Institute. Magnus initially couldn’t blame her, he was just as upset, but things had righted themselves, or rather, Alec had righted the wrongs. He had apologized, and even Luke and Raphael had understood in the end. There were bigger concerns, more pressing matters, than what had happened in the past. They had counted their blessings and tried to move on.

He let his eyes close, not falling asleep, but not focusing on his surroundings. The arm he had let Alec fall asleep on was slowly going numb, but he couldn’t dare move it. The alarm would go off and he would be forced to wake Alec again, and even then, he didn’t want to put his Shadowhunter in any more discomfort.

Alec’s grip on his coat lessened as he fell a little deeper into sleep, his breathing evening out. It was hard not to move to watch him, or to look at him, to gently caress the mark those awful seelies had put on his face.

Jace had assured him that the seelies had paid for it while Isabelle looked over his already healing bruises. He swore to Magnus that the attack had been out of nowhere, that neither one of them had seen the staff until Alec felt it connect with his face. They had simply been having a conversation, an attempt to keep the seelies out of pack territory because there was already an issue with some rogue vampires.

Magnus had a feeling that he should speak with Alec’s second in command, Underhill, about increasing security for the Downworld Cabinet, not because the Seelie Queen would dare to attack anyone, but because Magnus’s patience with her was wearing dreadfully thin. He tried not to think about how satisfying it would be to knock her royal highness in the face, or possibly singe the ends of her dark red hair. He was sure that if Jace attended the meeting, he'd hold her still while Mangus had his way with revenge.

His phone vibrated and without even thinking about it, Magnus stopped it.

“Alec.”

“Mm,”

“What year were you born?” Magnus opened his eyes just a little, looking out to the dim blue of the Institute. The building usually seemed so cold and emotionless, but Magnus could feel now that that wasn't the case. It was beginning to warm up to him, this place had so much of Alec's energy and his passion ingrained in it that it was a part of him. 

Alec moved a little, “Ask me another question and I’ll divorce you.” He put his arm over Magnus’s side, resting his head on Magnus’s chest.

Carefully, Magnus took the chance to move his numb arm, hoping to bring some blood flow back into it before he placed it on Alec's back. He tried not to worry too much about Alec's comment, but it had sent a spike of terror through his heart. "Divorce me? When did we get married?"

“We won’t be now, because I divorced you.”

He wasn't making sense. Magnus wondered if his attempt to ease Alec's discomfort by attempting to unravel his concussion somehow made things worse. He sat up a little, but Alec clung tightly to him. “Alec, look at me.”

“I am.”

Magnus huffed and started to move out from underneath him. “I mean, look at me so I can see your eyes.” He tried to think back to what Isabelle had told him about concussions. She had said something about looking into Alec's eyes, his pupils and their size.

“I’m fine.” He pulled Magnus back to where he was. “I’m twenty three. My birthday is September 12th. Isabelle’s middle name is Sophia. You’re afraid of acid washed jeans, you’re a sagittarius, I’m a virgo, the first thing you ever said to me was a meat pun.”

“Darling, don’t tease me when you’re concussed.” Magnus forced himself to settle back onto the bed, moving carefully so Alec could find the perfect place to rest again. “You scared me.”

Alec moved a little to rub at his eyes and nearly cussed when he remembered his bruise. “I’m sorry, but I’m tired, I just want to go home.”

His heart twisted in his chest and it took every ounce of willpower not to create a portal and take Alec home. He knew that Isabelle wouldn’t understand and that all of the dim lights of the Institute would flash red like they had when he portaled in. Despite everything, he was still very much expected to portal outside of the Institute. Alec was almost always at the Institute when Magnus wanted to be there, and he always made sure the alarms were off for Magnus. Underhill wasn’t so generous.

Magnus let his fingers trace down Alec’s back. “I know, sweetheart, but I don’t want to take the chance.”

“How long do you have to keep doing this?” He could hear the absolute exhaustion in Alec’s voice, pulling at his emotions.

“Just once more, and I’ll let you be for half an hour.” Magnus figured he could avoid the final fifteen minute check. Alec was coherent enough that he didn’t feel too worried. He would be right there, ready to pick up on anything even a slight change in Alec’s breathing.

Alec sighed, “Forty minutes.”

“Thirty five.”

“Forty.”

“Thirty five.” Magnus almost let his own eyes close, but he remembered that he still had to set another alarm. “I’m being nice, I was told to check on you every fifteen minutes for two hours.”

Alec clung a little tighter to Magnus, “That’s too many words right now.” he mumbled. “When can we go home?”

Magnus brushed his fingers through Alec’s hair. “Soon, I promise. Just sleep.” With his other hand, he set the timer for fifteen minutes and hesitated. He let his thumb run over the numbers a little more, moving it up to twenty and tucked his phone back into his pocket. He closed his eyes and was almost sure Alec was already asleep until he spoke, startling Magnus out of his half-sleep.

“I’m not divorcing you anymore.”

“I’m glad you changed your mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have to upload the next chapter on Sunday because I work tomorrow, but we'll see. I'm also still playing around with POV for the last chapter. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment with them!


	6. The One Time They Didn't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus Bane is the world's most chaotic bisexual and everyone is like... 80% sure that Alec is going to pass out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my fic! I really hope this last chapter does exactly what it should. I tried to make it Maia-centric because July is Maia month and I love her!!!!!!!!! But also, I have no experience writing her despite the few character studies I've done.

Maia Roberts didn’t have many reasons to return to New York City, but the reasons she did have she could put on one hand. 

Her thumb, the most important, was obviously Simon. As soon as she had left the city on her soul searching journey, she had called him. They had talked for the next four hours and both of them had cried. He had insisted supportively that she stay out of New York despite all that had happened in the few hours she was gone.  Simon had lost his mom and he had lost Clary. Maia knew better than anyone else just how important Simon’s family was to him. Her heart ached knowing that he was in so much pain just across the Hudson. 

The next important reason to return to New York was her index finger, Luke. Things with Luke and the pack were… tense, at best, and things with Luke and NYPD were even worse. She thought about how the only things Luke could really count on were her and the Hunter’s Moon, maybe his new… interest, Maryse Lightwood. 

It still surprised her to think of Maryse and Luke as an almost, sort of couple. She could see in the way they acted around each other that everything was mutual, it just… felt strange knowing that Luke was in love with a woman who had once advocated for the death of so many Downworlders. Maia had to remind herself that Luke wasnt’ blameless either, that he had once been part of the Circle as well. 

He had called her the morning after. They had talked for a while and Maia had enjoyed their conversation. He always seemed so worried, even over the little things like simply crossing the Hudson and staying in a shoddy hotel for a few nights. 

Maia’s next reason for returning to New York was her middle finger, most deservedly so, Magnus Bane, or maybe Alec Lightwood, or maybe just the two of them. They always managed to make her laugh, especially once they had started a tab. They both tipped her extremely well, giving her enough to pay a good chunk of her grocery bill. 

Neither one of them had called her, and she learned from Luke just what had happened when she had left. Her heart ached and she knew she had to return, not just for Simon, but for the two of them. The Hunter’s Moon couldn’t stay closed, not when Magnus was so inevitably heartbroken, and when Alec was suffering as well. 

It was like New York City couldn’t survive without her presence there to send horrors back into the shadows, to maintain a small little bar, bringing a little light to an almost constant war. 

Maia flung herself down on her bed face first and smooshed her face against the pillows. She relaxed her shoulders and sung a little into her comforter. Part of her loved how it smelled like her perfume and the smoky scent of the bar after a hard night of work. It smelled like success and family. 

She felt her phone buzz in the pocket of her jeans and after a few more seconds of pure bliss and relaxation, she felt the nagging need to have it in her hands. Maia unlocked the screen, smiling at the picture of her and Simon kissing and smiling. 

Magnus had sent her a Snapchat, that was what had set it off. 

It was of his little cartoon bitmoji (he always managed to make the best, most accurate bitmojis; Alec and Clary relied on him for his talents) looking kind of sad with bright pink words underneath saying ‘I Miss U’. His bitmoji was still there, peaking up above her keyboard, telling her that he was either typing something, or waiting for her to send something back. 

Maia looked through her cartoon gallery, looking at all of the little images of her cartoon self and of course, before sending the image she wanted to-- one of her character stepping through a door with the words ‘Honey, I'm home!’ from I Love Lucy-- she sent one of her character dressed as a milk carton. 

Magnus’s little character was still there and Maia had a feeling that this time he was typing instead of sending another cartoon. Just before she set her phone down, she found his words there. 

‘How was Jersey?’

She quickly sent back, ‘Ugh. Jersey.’ before turning over onto her back.

Maia hated how quick Magnus was at texting back. She knew better than to close the app. When Magnus started texting someone, he was dedicated to it. She’d seen him stop in the middle of pouring himself a drink just to text Alec back. She wondered if her texts had that kind of priority, the priority over a warlock and his alcohol. 

‘Doomsday?’ 

She snorted at the reference to their awful extensive inside joke. They had both agreed that when the end of times was upon them, they’d know just by entering New Jersey, maybe then it’d be tolerable. It was Alec that only added to it after a few too many drinks by saying it no one would notice a difference because the apocalypse to New York was everyday in New Jersey. The way he had phrased it had been so beautiful and hilarious that even Maia had come close to peeing herself.

Maia looked through her characters and all of the images available to her and settled on one of her cartoon hanging from some vines attached to the words ‘How’s it Hangin’. 

Magnus responded with a video of Alec in the kitchen, trying to open a package of Oreos with one hand. He tried to hold the package steady and Maia could see that his left hand was in a brace, clumsily trying to keep the package still while he pulled at the plastic. 

“Do you want some help?” Magnus asked, his free hand moved towards the package, but Alec pulled it away and walked away with it. “Alec.”

“No, they’re not yours.” Alec murmured with a laugh, walking out of frame. 

The video disappeared, leaving Maia to look at Magnus’s cartoon, still peaking over her keyboard. 

‘We’re coping.’ He sent, before she could type anything. Followed by, ‘Are you free right now?’

‘As long as you don’t take me anywhere fancy, I’m yors.’ ‘*yours’

Maia smiled when she saw their cartoons pop up on her screen again, underneath her words. Magnus had sent her one of both of their characters, smiling, Magnus’s character pointing up at some bright red words that said ‘Sold!’ before he sent ‘Sweetheart, everywhere I go is fancy’. 

She rolled her eyes and sent back, ‘Just come get me.’

Instead of getting a sensical answer, Magnus sent back a video of himself laughing, oreo cookies all over the floor and the table, the plastic packaging was in Alec’s good hand, completely empty. 

Alec dropped the packaging and grabbed one of the cookies, he moved in fast and Magnus made a nervous noise before the video faded to black. 

Maia smiled, happy that they were coping through chocolate creme cookies and goofing around. She wondered if Alec was going to join them for whatever shenanigans Magnus had planned. Maia had a feeling that he had nothing better to do, and after what had happened in her absence, she was sure they were more than attached at the hip. From what Luke had told her, Alec had nearly died, and Magnus wasn’t at all as fine as he seemed. 

She raced down the stairs into the Hunter’s Moon and didn’t bother to turn the lights on while she crossed the floor of the bar to the door. Maia could see Magnus waiting for her on the other side, even the back of his head was easily identifiable. 

He opened the door for her and as soon as she stepped through, they hugged. 

“I missed you.” She told him, as soon as they broke from their quick embrace. 

“I missed you, too. I was sure I was going to have to go shopping by myself.” Magnus smiled kindly, but it was obvious that something was wrong, just by looking at him. 

Maia looked him over, as though she was inspecting him for more damage. “Are you okay?” She asked, following him down the street as they started down towards the small shops that lined so many New York City streets. 

Magnus exhaled softly, “Yes.” That smile was still on his face. “It’s just… a change.” He glanced over to her. “Are you okay?”

Maia wasn’t exactly sure how to answer. She wasn’t sure she had found what she was looking for, or gotten the break she so desperately needed. She had returned because of them, because of her three reasons. “I think so. I think it’s really just a work in progress.” 

He nodded understandingly.

“So, retail therapy?” 

Magnus closed his eyes for a moment longer than a blink. “Yes, but… for something specific.” He glanced over at her and she could sense his nervousness. Before she could even ask, he stopped, pulling her to a stop, too. “I’m going to tell you something only Maryse knows.” 

“Maryse Lightwood?”

He nodded. “I’m asking Alec to marry me.” 

Maia felt her brain short circuit. 

Magnus Bane and marriage were not words that went together, and although Maia’s friendship with Magnus was pretty surface-level, as well as her friendship with the more common one-drink Magnus, and two-drink Magnus, Maia wondered just how many drinks it took to get Magnus frickin’ Bane to want to marry someone. 

She had heard stories about his past, about his relationships, about how he hadn’t even married Camille and how they had known each other for centuries. And now, knowing Alec Lightwood, the New York Institute’s biggest disaster, somehow all of it has changed. Magnus’s whole reputation has changed, everything about him as changed, but somehow, he’s still Magnus. 

“Maia.” 

She wondered if he’d said her name more than once, if she had just clocked out of reality to think about it. Magnus Bane wanted to  _ marry  _ someone and that someone was Alec Lightwood. 

“I, uh, shit.” She laughed, “Do you know his ring size?” 

Magnus beamed, practically glowing in every way. “Yes. I checked when he was asleep. Size eight.” 

Maia couldn’t take the smile off of her face. “Okay, where do you want to start looking?” 

“There’s a Tiffany store on Wall Street.” Magnus took her by the wrist and started to pull her off towards one of the main streets where they could easily get a cab. 

“You’re going to make Alec Lightwood, Mister--” Maia pitched her voice in a poor attempt to replicate Alec’s dark voice and the words the quote that Magnus had told her in the dead of night, hunched over the Hunter's Moon, crying with laughter. “’such exquisite taste in fabric’” Magnus chuckled at her imitation. “--to wear a Tiffany engagement ring?”

Magnus laughed, “This is why I need you.” 

Maia took out her phone and looked up jewelry stores nearby, specifically wedding ring stores. She showed Magnus her phone and the mess of little red dots that were all along the southern part of the city. He scrolled through the list and stopped at one. 

“This one?”

She turned her phone around to look at the place that Magnus had pulled up. A small independent shop with a website that she opened and handed over to him only so she could look over his shoulder while he looked at what they advertised. 

There were so many rings, and it was kind of sad to see just how engagement places pandered to straight couples. All of the rings were fancy and delicate, for women’s hands, none of them seemed to be something that Alec would enjoy until Magnus got to the bottom of the gallery. 

“Now, that’s Alec.” Maia reached over and pointed at one of the simple bands, it looked bumpy, but smooth, as though the metal had been hammered into its shape and simply put on display. 

Magnus nodded, “That’s more of a wedding band than an engagement ring.” He sighed, almost discouraged just by the fact that the first website didn’t work out. “I want it to be fancy, something he’s going to like, but something sparkly.”

Maia took her phone back and looked back through the list of places. “There’s one that specializes in gay weddings.” 

His eyes seemed to light up a little, but before he could say anything, Maia signaled for a cab.    
  


* * *

 

“You really think this is okay?” Magnus held the small blue box in his hand as they walked into the Hunter’s Moon together. “What if he says no, Maia?”

She turned the lights on and turned down two chairs at one table, settling into one and letting Magnus sit down in the other. “You really think he’s going to say no?” 

Magnus set the ring on the table, opening the box and staring at it. He had picked out a simple, thin white gold ring that almost looked like a wedding band, only it had a small, simple diamond embedded in it. It was elegant, classy, and just looked like something Alec would like.

“Do you really think his mom would tell you to go ahead and propose if she knew her son was going to say no?” Maia leaned back in her chair, watching as Magnus went through all of his second thoughts. “Maryse is so nice now, I can’t think of her doing that to you.” 

“She wouldn’t, but Alec is… Alec. I told him he couldn’t move in with me last week because I wanted to take things slow, and now… now I have a ring in front of me.” He hid his face in his hands, smudging his make up at the corners of his eyes. “If this isn’t some sort of mixed signal, I don’t know what is.”

“Moving in and proposing are two very different things.” Maia told him, but really, to her, they weren’t. If he didn’t want Alec to move in, there was no way he was fine with being almost married to him. Maia had to remind herself that Magnus had been reminded of just how quickly and easily he could lose Alec, that he had been brutally reminded of how often Shadowhunters died before the age of thirty. 

Magnus smiled, looking at the ring and closed it. “You really think I should do this?”

“If you want to, I’m all for it.” Maia wanted to mix them drinks, maybe some of the awful sweet wine that she kept in the fridge for herself, a martini for Magnus. 

“I’m going to call him.” 

“Why?”

Magnus sighed, tapping the ring box against the table. “I’m going to propose tonight, in front of you.” 

“Magnus, we just bought the ring, you don’t have to propose to him tonight.”

“I want to.”   


“Oh my god, you’re chaotic.” 

“You just said it was a good idea!”

Maia snorted, “It is, you love him, but, are you absolutely sure? I mean, proposing is a big thing, you might want a night to think it over.” 

“If I think it over, I’m going to return it and never propose.” Magnus looked at her, his eyes seemed lighter, somehow. Happier, maybe. She could see how worried he was, and how anxious. She could also see that he was going to do it no matter what she told him. 

“Okay, but if you’re going to propose, give me like… ten, no, twenty minutes.” Maia got up and walked over to behind the bar. “Go put this in the walk-in freezer.” She took out a bottle of prosecco that Luke told her to keep around for spontaneous celebrations. “I’ll call Jace and ask if he can bring some flowers or something.” 

Magnus took the bottle and almost walked into the back before the last few words made sense. “Jace and flowers?”

“He’s good with plants.” She shrugged and Magnus nearly dropped the bottle of champagne. Maia dialed Jace’s number and he picked up on the second ring. She put him on speaker phone immediately .

“Hello?”   


“Hey, Jace. I need some flowers for the Hunter’s Moon, there’s a special party going on, and I was just wondering if you could pick some up from the Institute’s greenhouse?” 

He was quiet for a moment and Magnus moved in closer to hear whatever he was going to say. Blondie and flowers? The greenhouse of all places? Magnus had always wondered who took care of it. 

Jace sighed, obviously exhausted. “Uh, yeah, I can, what do you want me to get?”

“What do you think would look best for an engagement?” 

Jace was quiet, Magnus could hear him moving the phone, the clicking noise of him touching it, probably walking through the Institute hallways. “Uh, depends who’s getting engaged, I guess.”

Magnus looked at Maia, but she had already opened her mouth.

“Can I tell you something that you can’t tell anyone else?” 

Magnus reached over and lightly smacked her arm, biting down on his lip and shaking his head. 

Maia took the phone a step back. 

“Sure. I’m good with secrets.” 

She was suddenly reminded of how he had exposed to everyone during that double date how she had a butterfly tattoo. Maia looked at Magnus, his eyes a little wide, but he didn’t seem to upset that she had nearly exposed everything. 

“I think it’s better if someone else tells you. Hold on.” Maia handed her phone to Magnus and smiled nicely.   


“Blondie.” Magnus set the champagne bottle back on the top of the bar. “I’m planning something for Alec.”

Jace was quiet, “What are you planning?” 

Magnus closed his eyes and opened them to look at Maia. “What do you think I'm planning?”

“Why do you need my help to fuck Alec?”

“I-I’m not trying to fuck Alec!” Magnus nearly shouted, “I don’t need your help to do that!” He was obviously worked up, a blush of embarrassment over his face. Maia took the phone and walked to the other side of the bar.

“Me again. Magnus is  _ proposing _ , you jackass.” 

Jace was quiet. “What the fuck, are you serious?”

Maia heard Magnus walk into the back to the walk-in freezer. 

“Yes. We went and bought a ring.” 

Jace immediately cussed. “Fuck, Alec bought a ring yesterday.” 

Maia nearly dropped the phone. “Oh my god.” She immediately looked at the door to make sure that Magnus still wasn’t in the room before she took Jace off speaker. “Like… an engagement ring, ring? Or like a promise ring? Or what?”

“An engagement ring. We went to some place on Wall Street.” 

_ Oh my god. Tiffany & Co.  _

“Okay. Here’s what we do. You bring flowers, tell Alec to meet you at the Hunter’s Moon, tell him that it’s something special like a party or something.” Maia felt Magnus come up behind her, “You and I are going to hide in the back while this happens.”

Magnus squeezed her shoulder. 

Jace huffed through the phone. “Yeah, okay. Just… have something strong for me, and maybe something for Alec so he doesn’t fucking lose it.”

“We have champagne.”   


Jace laughed humorlessly. “Alec’s going to need something like… top shelf whiskey.” 

“That’s going to kill him.” Maia wondered if Jace had ever seen Alec try to drink. There was no way he’d even manage to smell top shelf liquor let alone whiskey. 

Magnus made a face, obviously concerned, and Maia made a gesture with her hands, brushing him off and away while she continued her conversation with Jace.

“You obviously don't know how bad Alec gets when he freaks out.” 

“I’ve dealt with Alec heartbroken, he drank maybe, three beers, and Underhill had to scrape him off the floor.” She looked at Magnus and just by hearing her say that, he was smiling and shaking his head. “I don’t think Magnus wants to scrape Alec off the floor tonight.” 

Jace was quiet for a moment. “Does Magnus like freesia?” 

“Jace, stop stalling. Magnus asked you to pick flowers for a reason.” 

“I didn’t ask him, you did.” Magnus corrected. 

“I’ll be there in like… ten minutes. Alec will be there in fifteen. Can I at least tell Izzy?” Maia could hear him cutting flowers, the sounds of sheers against stalks. 

“No!” She frowned as though Jace were really there in front of her, reading her emotions. “What happened to ‘I’m good with secrets’?”

He laughed, “Alright. Bye.” Jace hung up before she could say anything else and Magnus was looking at her like he expected a rundown of everything they had said. 

“Jace is afraid Alec’s going to pass out when you propose.” Maia set her phone down on the counter. “He’s bringing freesia. There are candles in the back. When he comes, he’s going to hide with me in the back so you and Alec have some privacy.” 

Magnus was biting at his thumb nail. “I never thought about Alec’s reaction, other than a yes or a no.” He took a moment, probably to think of just how Alec would respond. “You might want to have that top shelf liquor.” 

“You’re not giving him enough credit.” Maia took the out a shot glass and filled it cheap whiskey. She pushed it towards Magnus. “Liquid luck?” 

He downed the shot without blinking. “Thank you.”

It took less than ten minutes for them to set everything up. Maia had dug out the candles. They set them up all over the Hunter’s Moon, casting everything in a golden glow. Jace had thought ahead for once and brought a vase with him for the flowers, setting them on the table and moving the table to the center of the bar, putting it right in the center of Alec’s line of vision for when he walked in. 

They had it all set up and Jace was monitoring Alec’s movements through their parabatai bond while they sat there, trying to calm Magnus. 

“So, is this what you thought it would be?” Jace asked, his eyes remained on the wood floor, his hand on his side, right over the rune he and Alec shared. 

Magnus huffed, “No, Jason. I thought I was going to propose to your brother somewhere more romantic like Paris, I should’ve waited.”

“No, no, no.” Maia put her hand on Magnus’s shoulder. “This is plenty romantic. You guys had your first date  _ here,  _ not Paris.” 

His eyes sparkled in the golden light and he smiled softly. “You’re right.” 

“I know I'm right.” 

“He’s close.” Jace quickly grabbed Maia and pulled her around behind the bar. 

“No! We were going to the back.” Maia stood quickly from where Jace had pushed her, but he pulled her back down again. 

“No time.” He whispered, his bright eyes wide with excitement. 

She looked up at Magnus, but his eyes were on the door that she heard open. Silently, Maia sat down beside Jace and listened as it all began to unfold above them. 

“Magnus.” Alec’s voice was soft, obviously taken by surprise by all of the candles. They had completely transformed the Hunter’s Moon from a bar to the cutest little private banquet room. 

“Alexander.” They kissed, and Maia could hear them move the chairs. 

Magnus spoke first. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, but what is this?” 

“I wanted to put something together because I have something really important to ask you.” Magnus’s voice was as confident as Maia had ever heard it. She pressed her hand to her face to stop from smiling too much. “Alexander, we’ve only been together a few months, but, I knew that I was going to do this from the first time I met you.”

“Magnus--” 

“No.” His voice was soft, just meant for Alec. Maia felt chills run up her spine and down her arms. Despite not having any magic, Magnus still had control over the atmosphere with just the tone of his voice. “Alexander, I’ve never been the type of person for this, and you know that. I told you not to move in with me because I was scared that if we moved too quickly, I wouldn’t be able to live in the moment with you. I wanted to feel us get to this part, to feel like everything was right, but everything was right from the moment I saw you.” 

There was a pause and Maia could hear her heart in her ears. 

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood.” Magnus said every part of Alec’s name like it was part of some special, careful spell, something only to be said by him and said once. “Will you marry me?”

The second pause nearly killed Maia.

“Yes. Oh my god, Magnus, yes I will.” Alec laughed and they went quiet again until Maia and Jace heard their lips part. “I have something for you.” 

There was quiet again until Magnus laughed. 

“Are you serious?” 

“Yeah, I was going to propose on our six month anniversary.” Alec laughed. “Do you like it?” 

Magnus was quiet and Maia heard him sniffle back tears. “I love it.” He said, laughing softly. They were quiet and Maia was sure they were kissing again. 

Jace leaned in close, his lips too close to her ear. “Do you think we can come out now?”

She shook her head, rubbing away her own tears and trying not to glare at him. He always had a way of ruining everything. 

“Maia, go get the champagne.” Magnus’s voice was still full of tears, but at least there was a smile in it. 

She stood and fixed her shirt and her jacket. Jace immediately stood with her and Alec laughed. They were both crying, Magnus carefully putting the ring on Alec's finger. His hands were so delicate, almost like he was afraid of somehow hurting Alec's braced wrist. Maia noticed how Magnus had removed all of his rings, the only ring on his hand now was the one that Alec had given him while she had been hiding behind the bar with Jace.

“You knew about this?” Alec looked directly at Jace and used his free hand to wipe away his tears.

“I, uh, yeah, kind of.” 

Maia went into the back and brought out the champagne as well as a few fancy wine glasses. She handed Jace the champagne and he opened it, popping the cork. He poured it gently into the glasses and Maia handed them out. 

“To Mister and Mister Bane-Lightwood.” Maia raised her glass. 

“Lightwood-Bane.” Jace corrected, after a quick swig of champagne. 

“Magnus and Alec.” Maia corrected further. 

“What was it Simon called you?” Jace looked at Alec, but Alec was too busy looking at Magnus. They were too in love to keep up the conversation. “It was like… Your names smushed together. Algnus?”   


“Malec.” Maia corrected. “To Malec.” 

To her reason for staying in New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! And if you haven't already, please join the Twitter campaign to bring back Shadowhunters by tweeting #SaveShadowhunters and #PickUpShadowhunters! Don't let the lack of news keep you from trying!! Also, please feel free to stop by my tumblr and leave me a request, or your headcanons, or anything.


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